US drilling rig count falls 12 units to 1,749

The US drilling rig count dropped by 12 units during the week ended Jan. 18, with the total number of rotary rigs reaching 1,749, Baker Hughes Inc. reported. This compares with 2,008 rigs working in the comparable week last year.

Offshore drilling reached 51 rigs, down 2 units from a week ago. This loss was offset by a 2-rig increase for rigs drilling in inland waters. Land-based drilling, meanwhile, fell 12 units to 1,679. Of the rigs drilling offshore, 48 were in the Gulf of Mexico, a 2-rig loss from a week ago.

Rigs drilling directionally were reported at 180, down 2 rigs from a week ago and 26 fewer than the comparable week last year. The number of rigs drilling horizontally jumped 8 to 1,127. This compares with 1,183 rigs working in the comparable week a year ago.

Of the major oil and gas producing states, Texas was down 11 units to 813; Oklahoma, down 3 to 182; and New Mexico and Ohio, down 2 rigs each to respective counts of 79 and 28. Louisiana, Colorado, and Wyoming, at 106, 51, and 48, respectively, were each down 1 unit. Three states were unchanged from a week ago: California, 31; West Virginia, 27; and Alaska, 11. Arkansas saw a 2-rig jump, reaching 17; Pennsylvania was up 4 rigs to 71; and North Dakota shot up 5 units to 179 rigs working.

Canada’s rig count rose again this week, up 70 units to 601. This count includes 458 rigs drilling for oil and 143 units drilling for gas. The total was down 53 units from the comparable week last year.